My Favorite ThingsIn Final Cut Pro edit multiple clips into a project with just the parts you want
By Diana Weynand, James Alguire and RevUpTansmedia

In the legacy versions of Final Cut Pro you marked a portion of a clip that you wanted to use by setting in and out points. One cool thing about in and out points is that they are persistent, that is, once set in a clip they remain set until you explicitly removed them. This made it very easy to edit multiple clips into the Timeline with just the scenes you wanted.

Final Cut Pro X introduced a lot of new tools, features and interface elements that take some getting used to, because they don't necessarily work the way they did in legacy FCP.

One example is marking portions of clips for use in a project. There are new methods of marking a usable portion of a clip, like simply dragging through the clip. And even the old tried and true method of setting in and out points still works, but now in and out points are no longer persistent. That's right, mark a clip section with in and out points and then click on an different clip, and then click back on the original clip and your in and out points are no more. This makes it much more difficult to edit multiple clips into a project with just the parts you want.

So how do you go about preserving those selections of desirable clip segments you've spent valuable time marking for editing, in a persistent manner? In this tutorial, we'll show you that marking clips as Favorites, may become one of your favorite things.

On the Mark

First, let's verify this new behavior in Final Cut Pro X.

1 In the Event Library select an event to display available clips.2

3 In the Event Browser click and drag to select a portion of a clip.4 You can skim through a clip and set in and out points by pressing the I and O keys on the keyboard to select a portion for this example.

5 In the Event Browser, now click a different clip to select it, and then click back on the first clip to reselect it.6

Notice how the entire clip is now highlighted and not just the portion you marked just a moment ago.

Playing Favorites

As you can see it would become a bit frustrating if you had marked a portion of a clip you wanted to use and then clicked on another clip, before editing it into a project, to check something out and then return to the previous clip only to have lost the selection.

All you need do to preserve your editing choices once you have marked a desirable section is to mark it as a favorite.

1 In the Event Browser, mark a portion of a clip you'd like to use.2 Use your preferred method of marking clips selections to make your choice.

3 In the Toolbar, click the Mark selection as Favorite Button, indicated by the green star, or press the F key on the keyboard.4

A green bar will appear at the top of the selected portion of the clip.

Note

If you decide you don't want to keep the selection as a Favorite then simply click the Remove Ratings button or press the U key on the keyboard.

You can also use Favorites to enhance your editing workflow by quickly marking the portions of the clips you really want or need so you can edit multiple clips into a project quickly. First mark the portions your want as Favorites. Then simply view just your favorites in the Event Browser while working on the rough cut.

1 In the Event Browser, create a few more favorites from the available clips.2

3 At the top of the Event Browser, click the Filter Menu, which may currently show the All Clips option, and select Favorites.4

Now just the favorites that you create will appear in the Event Browser, reducing clutter and distractions.

5 In the Event Browser, select all the Favorites, by dragging a marquee selection around all the clips, or by pressing Command-A on the keyboard.6

7 Now drag the selected clips down into the Primary Storyline of the Project Timeline.8

You've just created a quick rough cut of your story.

9 Click the Filter Menu and select All Clips to reset the Event Browser to display all available clips in the Event.

10 In Final Cut Pro X, Favorites are just one way you can efficiently manage all your favorites scenes while building your story.

Diana Weynand, an Emmy nominated editor, a distinguished educator and Apple Certified Trainer, is the author of several books including the Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro X, Final Cut Pro 7 and Final Cut Pro for Avid Editors and How Video Works. Diana has been on the cutting edge of technology training for two decades, and is co-owner of Rev Up Transmedia, (Formerly Weynand Training International) an Apple Authorized Training Center and mobile application developer.

James Alguire, an Apple Master Trainer, has been involved in the computer industry for over 25 years. His experience includes digital design, electronic prepress, multimedia, digital video/audio, technical support and training. He is an Apple Certified Trainer, an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator, an Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist and Apple Certified Support Professional. He is a lead instructor for Rev Up Transmedia and was a contributing writer for Diana's book, Final Cut Pro X. Related Keywords:Final Cut Pro, Diane Waynand, FCP